Finding Cinderella
by accourants
Summary: They say that some people are like clouds—when they disappear it's a brighter day. And I can't way for the holy day when that "Prince" disappears from my life forever. —NaLu. Modern AU.
1. Chapter 1

"Well, looks who's here."

I didn't bother to gaze up to know who was coming.

It was already obvious, what with the screaming fan-girls and whatever else; I knew perfectly well who it was. Who wouldn't, anyway?

Gracing his presence was something of a daily routine for most of the students here in Magnolia High, and I wondered why no one had gotten tired of it over these past four years. Anyhow, let me tell you something about the person I was reffering to.

I knew you're guessing; trust me, you were far from the truth. He wasn't a Hollywood actor, a billionaire, or a star athlete. Or even someone who could perform miracles like walking through walls or something. In fact, he didn't apply to any of the above. In actuality, he was even more attractive and desirable than all of that put together.

He was the Prince.

But here's the deal breaker: he never came from a royal family.

Confused? No, you're not. How many times have you seen someone so ruthlessly exposed in the limelight? So much that they might as well have actually been freaking royalty? After all, he certainly looked the part: tall, handsome, well built; well read.

He had those cute little dimples with the gorgeous eyes and stunning smile to match. The shine you got from those straight pearly whites could blind you if you even dared to look long enough. No, he didn't have a white horse, but he had the next best thing: a deadly, unbeatable red Porsche. Most girls would die just to stand next to it.

In short, Natsu Dragneel was the very epitome of a Prince: the most dashing and unobtainable young man on the face of the planet.

And all I could think to do was to roll my eyes at him.

Prince, my ass.

"Once upon a time, there was peace, and now it was unfortunately over." I slammed my book shut and let out an exasperated sigh. Honestly, I wasn't the bookish type, which explained why hardly a single piece of information had registered in my mind while reading. Let's just say I'd only picked the boom up in an effort to avoid his unshakable presence.

"Lis, come on. Let's get outta here," I said to my best friend Lisanna Strauss, who was busy stargazing at Natsu.

"Already? Why?" the whitehead asked. "We only just sat down."

"Oh please, don't even ask. You clearly know the reason why."

She glanced at him again, and returned to me with a playful smile growing on her lips, "Whatever you say, Lucy."

But before we could escape and enter the over-crowded school building, footsteps came rushing behind and someone slung their muscular arms around my shoulders. Despite managing to avoid his existence for a whole four minutes, I knew that my grace period had just ended.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear...

"Hey, Lucy! So why are you ignoring me, huh? I've tried calling you a couple times already."

I hastily pulled away from him, turning around; I put up my best sarcastic expression. I didn't want to face hi, but it's not like I could avoid it forever. There stood the salmon-haired guy, within his infectious ever-charming aura. Good thing I was already immune to that.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't see you there," I said scornfully.

That's it. Bring out the sarcasm, like we practiced.

"But wait, how did you get here? Did someone leave your cage open?"

Score!

He let out a soft whistle of self-pity. "Well someone's pretty grouchy today," he uttered nonchalantly, averting his dark onyx eyes away from my own piercing stare of despise.

"It's because I have allergies," I informed him.

"Allergy? To what?" he asked. No, he wasn't obvious to the fact that I disliked him. Actually he was just mocking the whole situation.

"Pretentious people like you, of course," I snapped.

He smirked haughtily. "Ooh, big word. Have been reading your thesaurus lately?" his eyes dropped on my book. "Figures. Look, Luce, I came here with a good vibe, okay? Until you start freaking out. Again."

A brittle laugh rang out of my lips yet my cold expression need remained. "Hey, I'm not freaking out. Jeez, I'm just impassively telling you that you should get outta my sight," I said sweetly. "Or better yet, I should go first because Nostradamus predicted that a a guy talking to me right now would be a loser."

Suddenly all nerve to deal with him diminished and I just walked away.

"That was a totally cool come back, girl," Lisanna commented.

I grinned and we both we made a high-five and a low-five. That was something we always did when neither of us would have done something badass or whatever, ever since ninth grade.

"But mind you, sarcasm would always be his defense mechanism," she reminded.

From a distance, I could hear his laughter echoing amidst the crowd that had been watching us all this time with baited breath.

"Yeah, good idea, walk away. Can't expect anything more from a weirdo like you."

Oh, that did it.

Everyone else in the area went into hysterics at his remark. Blood rushed to my face and I didn't even have anything to cover it up. Even if I did, it still wouldn't been enough to conceal my utter embarassment.

Jeez, what a freaking douchebag!

The laughter continuely echoed in my ears, making my nerves snap.

"Told you, " said Lisanna. She tapped my back for reassurance, knowing I possessed a precious little tolerance towards idiots like him. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to relax.

"Remember who you are to me, Lucy," he called aloud. "The universe is laughing behind your back now,"

My eyelids fluttered in dread, and I groaned.

My life isn't a fairy tale nor did it revolve around sovereigns, crowns, lavish clothes, and I certainly was not a royalty. Since Natsu was the so-called "Prince", of course, he definitely required a so-called "servant".

And unfortunately, that was me.

In his face.

"Lis, can you, like, resurrect me?" I exhaled after we had finally escaped the crowd and found an almost empty hallway to stay. "I think I just died from embarassment."

"You know, it's physically impossible to die because of that," said Lisanna, as the know-it-all she always was.

I rested my head on the wall. "Who knows, I might turn out to be as an exception to that rule."

"Uh...yeah, but before that, I think you have to deal with something right now, Lu." she pointed her finger.

I looked around and saw a girl, having both of her hands on her face, Even as her white curls cascaded down her face covering it up, I knew who she was.

Oh not again.

Before I could bolt myself away, the girl looked up, tears streaming down her Enflamed face and said, "Heartfilia. C-can I t-talk with you for a moment?"

There were only five words and fourteen letters that could describe what I felt now.

I. Hate. Him. So. Much.

Wait, that was an understatement.

Gritting my teeth, I wiped my left shoulder with a handkerchief and prayed that the tear stains would come out without much hassle. Now I know what you're thinking, but trust me, I was not into bringing waterworks—at least not anymore. Anyone who did cry was just kidding themselves.

"You okay there?" asked Lisanna. She had her chin cupped in her hands as she stared at me in a bored manner.

"Fantastic as ever, Lis," I moaned.

"So how was the session with Angel?"

"It's getting worse even to the point where I think I might literally rip my hair out someday, I'm not even kidding." I traced my fingers on the coat's wet patch, which had more or less vanished, and exhaled deeply. I wasn't that pissed about having my coat wet, since there was a good reason behind it—it was Angel had just wailed like a banshee for the better part of thirty minutes.

"Chill down." Lisanna snickered as she pushed a white strand of hair behind her ear. "What'd you guys talked about?"

"Same old crap as usual. Natsu this, Natsu that. It's getting to the point where I don't even know what to say anymore so I started recycling my old speeches. I don't know how to make her feel better." I sighed. "I've been dying to tell her that she never stood a chance, and that she was like, the twelfth girl he dumped. But as we all know, that would be the last thing a broken-hearted girl wants to hear, right?"

She shrugged. "Guess so."

"Why does this seem to go on forever?" I threw up my hands in the air. "That's it. I'm done."

"What do you say; let's grab some Cokes before we get home?" Lisanna suggested, jabbing her thumb at her back. She smiled sympathetically. "Gee, I hate to say this, Lu, but you seriously look dead-beat now, and I think you need a little refreshment to calm your nerves down."

I gave her a flat look. "I always look dead-beat, Lis. No matter how much I fix myself, I still look like a mess." I shook my head. "Thanks, but no. Not today. I have to find that jerk and settle this once and for all."

After Lisanna drove me home, I slowly dragged my feet to the porch. I'd spent nearly an hour finding Natsu around the campus, but I'd had a tough luck for that. He was probably away for the day, flirting with girls and playing billiards.

So much for the long day.

Next to our yard stood Natsu's humungous residence. I saw mom and Gradine, his mother, sitting on one of the white chairs in their wide yard. They'd been a close friends since we moved into this neighborhood four years ago —few weeks after Dad's funeral—, and I couldn't help but like the Dragneel family since they were so darn nice! Well, except for their only son, of course.

I waved my hands amd called, "Hey, Mom, Grandine!"

A beautiful, dark blue-haired woman who was sitting at Mom's side waved back at me, while Mom answered with a smile, "Oh! Hi, honey! I bought your favorite pudding a while ago. Its in the fridge."

As food suddenly registered in my mind, my eyes brightened depsite of the weariness I had right now. "Really? Aw, yeah. Thanks!"

Quickly, I entered the house and in the living room, I spotted Michelle watching TV while reclining on the couch; her hair, which was two tones darker than mine, was like long sun rays spread on the red throw pillows. She shifted half of her attention to me.

"Hey sis," she greeted, waving her fingers. "Where did you go?" she was oblivious to what was happening to me, as usual, although we went to the same school together.

"Where else do you think?" I groaned as I took off my bag and threw it on the couch. "Of course, I'm fresh from another batch—"

Clattering sounds from the kitchen distracted me. I stood there, seething at HIM swaggering around the cupboards as if he owned the place. So he was here all along!

His eyes suddenly targeted mine. He waved a spoon at me in greeting. "Oh hey, Luce! It's about time."

I marched up to Natsu and slammed my palms on the kitchen table. "What do you think you're doing?" I yelled so loudly that Michelle had her head turned. She lowered the volume instinctively, apparently more interested in our argument than the film.

Raising his eyebrows, he opened a familiar plastic cup without looking at me. "Jeez, you're so 'effin loud. Hey, I don't see any wrong with eating a pudding." he took a spoonful scoop and dug it in his mouth. "They say it helps you ease the pain of a breakup."

My eyes practically popped out. "What! That's my pudding you freakin' moron! Give it back!"

"Wait, your pudding? But this doesn't have your name on it."

"Wha—how dare you!" It's mine, so give it back! Give it back!"

"Can't hear you."

I crossed my arms let the frustration run riot; oh God, he was impossible. My stomach was starting to grumble, yet I just kept staring at the vanilla pudding that was supposed to be mine. I'd been waiting for weeks just to have that flavor again, but now it was on the hands of the devil. There was no way I could snatch it from him since he was already halfway done with it.

"Why don't you just go to hell, Natsu?" I said between gritted teeth.

He grinned causing his dimples to show, the ones I wanted to dig into with a knife. "We'll still see each other there, Lucy."

"Ooohhh," my sister crooned.

Jaw clenching, I closed my eyes. "Michelle."

"Peace!" she chirped.

I opened my eyes and tried to compose myself. "Do you have any idea what happened a while ago, Natsu?" I asked after a moment, trying to control the loudness of my voice. "Angel came to me, crying her heart out over you. Seriously, when will you ever get even a nip of guilt about it?"

He snorted. "You know I'm not the type, Luce."

"Oh right, because you're actually the type that always acts like arrogance is a virtue."

"Virtue is knowledge," he pointed out nonchalantly. "So if you said a few weeks ago that my arrogance is as big as the moon, then—wow, I already bested Newton, thank you very much."

I raised my eyebrow. "Wait, what did you say? Because all I heard was 'blah, blah, blah, I am a jerk."

His hands flew up in surrender.

"Listen, Natsu," I griped, "If you want to be a playboy for a lifetime, you might as well ship yourself to research camp; because, you know what? You're like the perfect guy that could be used as an outline to build an asshole!" I just had to add the cussing. Otherwise, I'd have regretting it later. Any opportunity to insult Natsu was taken as often as it could.

"Ouch, Luce," he said putting a hand on his chest like I had actually hurt him. "You can't say mean things like that to your best friend."

I stared at him blankly.

What the hell?

Seriously, "best friends"? I couldn't remember a time when we'd actually acted like best buddies. He always called me a 'weirdo', treated me like a servant, or instead made fun of my haggard appearance. Now, he was calling us "best friends"?

Well I'd admit; we only put up that act when our parents were around, but in reality, the whole thing was in his overinflated head. I didn't really consider him a friend anymore, not even an aquaintance. Not since, he showed his true colors.

Besides, it wasn't like I got any benefits from the charade. Mostly it was just him enjoying everything while I clear up his mess, from his terrible household manners, to his stupid personal relationships. Well, it wasn't like I barged myself into his affairs—jeez, I never wanted to do that.

Let's just say I was more like the "resident counselor" to that stuff, listening to all the pathetic dramas from those girl he'd broken up with, just like what happened with Angel. And I couldn't do anything about it because they kept on coming to me like a horde of zombies.

I laughed at him mockingly.

He brushed his upper lip with his finger and grinned again. "So you don't like the idea of best friends... That means you want to go to the next level, huh? We can have an intimate relationship if you'd like, Lucy."

Then again, Michelle made teasing sounds. She was surely enjoying this scene.

Natsu's words sent shivers down my spine. Just the thought of having that relationship with him made me want to puke.

"I dare you—no. I double dare you to say that again. Are you out of your mind? I mean, who in their right mind would go out with you?"

My eyes flamed with anger, and he cringed slightly. I could feel myself barely towering over him.

Clearly, it was a stupid question, since I knew many girls crave him and wanted to take their relationship with him to "the next level". After all, they weren't in their right minds. Too stupidly love drunk to see through the deceiving Prince-like aura he created and see the true evil, conceited jerk deep inside.

"Damn," he grumbled between his heavy breathing, "This is rich, coming from a girl no one wants to date with." His lips curked into a smirk as he reveled his insult.

I clenched my teeth. "What. Did. You. Just. Say?"

"Here we go again," Michelle sighed. I wasn't sure uf she was reffering to the fight scene in the film or the fight scene inside this house, but trust me, she was already used to this stuff.

Natsu shrugged; his eyes were focus, not on me, but on the celing. "Relax, Luce. You might think that you're a guy and that you can pick a fight. But we both know what you really are."

My fists clenched. He had to be so stupid if he didn't know the reasons behind my boy-like attitude, or if he did know, he just couldn't understand them.

Now he'd just reminded me about the shame he'd done to me at school.

"Get out!" I yelled, pointing my finger straight to the door. "I don't even want to see your face in this house again! And don't ever call me Luce!" That was the nickname he made up for me and I hated that so much!

He was stumbling his way out of the front door while I shoved him forward, yelling death threats if he might come again.

"Go fly a kite or jump off a bridge! Just go away!"

"If I'd go away, your life would surely suck," he said.

"I don't care! So shut the hell up and get outta here!"

After he was gone, I took a deep breath to collect myself. I thought I was hoing to have a stroke. Seriously, all the blood inside my body was steaming away, and so much of it had rush to my head that my temples almost exploded! I looked at the mess he'd made in the kitchen. Darn, another cleaning spree again.

"Chill out, sis." Michelle giggled, her attention now back to the TV. "You'll get over it someday."

I blew a shorted strand of blonde hair away from my face. You know how many times I'd hear those words from her? It was uncountable. Well, I couldn't blame her for having a carefree view about life, particularly about her own. Anyway, what did she have to worry about? Natsu never bugged her. He actually treated her like his own little sister so she always said that he was one heck of a nice guy. Natsu this and Natsu that.

Change the freaking record!

"Get over it someday?" Oh come on. Someday was way too far away, for crying out loud!

* * *

 **notes: Oh my, I finally finished the 1st chapter of my first fanfiction. And this sorry if the characters are a little OOC •~•**

 **notes2: I might update every 2-3 days depending on my schedule since I kinda have a hectic schedule.**

 **notes3: Tell me your thoughts by clicking the review button! :3**


	2. Chapter 2

Lucy wasn't talking to me.

Normally, she'd make the effort to pull a face at me, or at least murmur a death threat or two under her breath. But today in this unbearably dull English lesson, I wasn't even worth that.

She was probably still pissed off about the breakup I'd had with another girl two days ago, though I still wondered why she was making a big deal about it.

Hey, it wasn't my fault that most of those girls would rush to her like she was Oprah Winfrey, who would give them a reflection guide or something. And it was not even like Lucy had the slightest idea when it came to that stuff, so I didn't even know why those girls would consult her.

Maybe it was beacause they thought Lucy and I were good ol' best buds. Ha!

But I really enjoyed seeing her frustrated anyway. Seeing her grind her teeth with balled fists would never get old. It was Lucy's signature look! I smiled to myself as I thought about it.

When the bell rang, she quivkly shot up from her sit and dragged Lisanna behind. I was going to catch up with her, but my loyal subjects Gajeel Redfox and Gray Fullbuster had already started tagging along with me.

Oh well I'll just talk to her when she cools down.

As we guys began to talk about video games and stuff, making our way to the cafeteria, we were suddenly stopped in the middle of the hall. A crowd, composed mostly of girls, had hurriedly surrounded us.

"H-hi!" one of the girl stammered. She had a straight brown hair that reached her shoulder, and—well, she looked okay. "We're here to, um, give these to you."

And every one of them lifted those little bags and note cards while giving me an expectant smile. I could only stare at them in confusion.

"Oh cool. Thanks," I said. "For what though?"

The girl blushed as if what I'd said offended her or something. "Uh... As a Valentine gift?"

Slowly, but surely, I processed the information I just heard...

"Valentine," I said carefully then snapped my fingers. "Oh, it's Valentine's day!" I turned to Gray and Gajeel, whose faces were strangely blank, and asked, "Is it, really?"

"Dude, are you serious? Where have you been this entire time?" Gray muttered.

Huh, so it was. No wonder the girls were so possessed at the moment and no wonder Lucy looked so pissed off.

"Damn, I forgot the date today," I mumbled and quickly turned to the girls. I brushed my hair, laughing. "Ah, thank you again. This is really sweet," I said, winking, as I took those bags from their hands.

They giggled and whispered to each other like usual.

You know how many times I said those words per year? Maybe a hundred and one times automatically. I couldn't care less about the gifts they gave me.

The crows was getting huge at every passing second, yet I managed to make a clean getaway by thanking the crows, then ignoring them as I walked away. The crowds always irritated me but I never showed it. All these people could get so annoying. I'd been surrounded by praise my whole life, as if I was a living monument or something. Sometimes, these people made me forget who and what I really was.

Luckily, there's one person who reminded me of my real identity...even though she didn't exactly like me, at all.

"You' ve ceratinly lost your touch. I swear, every Valentine's day, your personal magnetism only gets stronger," Gajeel remarked after we'd successfully sat down (ages later) at our usual spot in the cafeteria.

Apparently, a lot of girls hadn't gotten the chance to give me gifts yet, but we couldn't just spend the whole day collecting heaps of boxes and making empty thank-you speeches.

I pushed the mountain of gifts to them across the table. "Get them."

"What?"

"They're all yours. You guys can eat them, or give them to the charity, whatever. Just get them away from me."

Gray raised his hands. "Hold on, Natsu. This is serious. I thought you like receiving this kind of stuff. Why are you giving them away so suddenly?"

I slumped my seat, my hands collapsing on my sides. "I always get the same old shit every year, and it's getting boring already. There isn't anything fun about this school anymore," I muttered.

"Dude, check this out," Gajeel said, snickering. He held out the note card, and I grabbed it from him.

There, in neat handwriting, was written:

'Roses are red. Violets are blue. I have no Valetine today, thanks to you.'

It was obviously from Angel. I snorted.

"Wow, I'd never known girls got all poetic like that after they went through breakups..." Gajeel said. "Especially with you."

I shrugged, scoffing. "Nah, Angel could just be frustrated and wanting to make me guilty."

Then I saw the P.S. at the end, saying she still liked me and was hoping for a second chance. When I say I'm breaking up with someone, I mean it. There was no way I was getting back together with Angel. Not on Valentine's day and not ever.

Why would we ever be a couple again? Getting back with an ex is pretty much like going to a yard sale and buying back your own crap.

I had chemistry with many girls at the beginning of relationships, but all that had just dried up within days. Yeah, I didn't refuse them when they came, but I didn't chase after them when they left. Almost all of my past relationships had lasted about a month, and they hadn't felt right at all. I guess you could've called them "relation-shits" instead of "relationships".

Someone suddenly poked the dimple on my right cheek; I almost yelled out loud. Seriously, who would just poke someone's dimple with their consent? If it were Lucy, though, it'd probably be another story.

I turned to the person who poked me, and—oh shit.

"Hey, Natsu," Kagura Mikazuchi greeted me in her ever-sickly sweet tone. She had her dark eyebrow up and her pink lips in a smirk as she said, "Happy Valentine's Day."

As she was about to wrap me in a hug and give me a kiss on the cheek, I dodged away as fast as I could. Kagura almost landed her face on the table if she hadn't supported herself with her hands just in time. Her russet eyes flashes, and Gray and Gajeel tried to stop themselves from laughing. I raised my hands, not feeling any guilt at all.

"Gee, Kagura, a simple hi would be enough," I said. "Listen, this isn't supposed to make you feel bad but let me remind you that we are not together anymore."

At her back was her 3 best friends, rolling their eyes while almost discreetly snorted a laugh.

"Huh, and I thought you would like it," Kagura scowled, crossing her arms across her chest. "It's just a gesture of friendship Natsu."

What she actually meant was that: she was flirting with me beyond a general acceptance of friendship.

I was about to say a counterattack, but then I just snapped my mouth shut. It was pointless to argue with a person who had a mind of steel trap that was always closed.

"So, anyway, I heard you broke up with Angel Sorano," she said with a touch of boredom.

I deadpanned, "So?"

"Oh, just nothing." she turned her head away and murmured to herself. "Finally, served her right."

"Kagura, what are you doing here?" I complained, ignoring what she'd said.

Gray could be heard munching on popcorn while watching the scene, as if he were in the cinema.

Kagura rolled her eyes. "Are you trying to say that I'm not allowed to be in the school cafeteria?"

I hit my forehead with my palm. God, why did I have an ex-girlfriend like her? Had I been drunk when I met her?

"Jeez, no. I mean, why are you here in our spot?" I said trying to control my frenzy. "Your friends are over there." I motioned to the table, not too far away from us.

"Oh, well, actually I was just going to ask you something," Kagura answered, shrugging casually. "You're going to the ball, right?"

Ah, yes, Magnolia High School's Valentine Ball was a yearly special event that celebrated the school's birthday, and at the same time, Valentine's Day. The entire school looked forward to it, since anyone from any class could attend the ball, freshmen to seniors.

I'd heard that the student council had changed some of the Ball's programs that year. I was pretty sure they'd added an event called "Fate Dance" or something like that. No one, well, other than the student council really knew what that was, and it was something everybody was waiting to see.

Last year, I'd been chosen as the King for the initial dance. I'd thought the experience would be epic, but ended up being awkward as hell because they'd also conveniently chosen Kagura as the Queen.

That was one of the most remorseful experiences I've had in my life.

And now, she was asking me if I was going to the Ball. I could sense something bad behind the sinister smile of hers.

"Silly me. Of course, you are, since everyone's expecting you to come." she laughed. "So do you already have a date?"

"Yes," I answered immediately without even thinking.

"Really? Who?" asked Gajeel.

I glared at him, and he averted his eyes, slowly shutting his mouth. I didn't have a date actually, but I had to told Kagura that because I wanted her to get outta here.

"Ooh, that girl must be lucky then," she mocked. Her manicured fingers wrapped around my arm as she came closer and purred in my ears, "But you can come to me if you'll ever get bored with her during the night. You know, I'm always here."

I pulled her off me. "That's it, Kagura. Beat it, okay?" I then noticed that one of her friends was giving her an incredulous look.

Kagura threw her brunette head back as she laughed again. "Bye, prince! See ya around!" she waved her hand in the air as they left.

She was one hell of a crazy woman. As of yet, she was one of the vilest females I'd ever encountered, probably the second most vile, if I'd had to rank them. The first, of course, would have been Lucy, but again that's another story.

Gray started to slow clap, shaking his head in awe. "Whoa! That drama. Sweet Jesus, the feels, man." He fell down laughing. "Too bad the other guys weren't here yet. They would have brought as more popcorn." Seeing my glare, he coolly shrugged. "What?"

"You better shut your mouth, Fullbuster."

"So, flameshit, what are you going to do now?" asked Gajeel.

I sighed, "I dunno, metal freak. Find a date, perhaps, so she can leave me alone during the event."

"If you found a girl, though, the rest would surely kill her," he replied, giving me a knowing look.

"I know."

Gray nudged Gajeel. "Hey, speaking of girls, have you picked out one of them for the Ball?"

"Yeah, but I haven't asked her yet."

He always just so oblivious and unsure of himself, however, ever since we were in middle school. He should just ask the girl out!

"Good luck with that, bro. Watch out for the big sister, though. She can chew your head off," I said.

"Is that supposed to be taken metaphorically or literally?"

"How about both?" Gray answered playfully.

Right on cue, I saw Lucy and Lisanna, with full trays in their hands, scanning the whole cafeteria for an empty seat. I gave them a wave and motioned for them to sit down to us, but when Lucy noticed me, she just glowered and walked away.

I gave a soft laugh. Ha! She'd finally returned to her usual self.

Suddenly, with my mind already on the Valentine Ball, a light bulb flashed on in my head. I knew just what to do,

"Anyway, Natsu, you're in search for a date, tight?" Gray inquired. "I can give you a girl's number if you want to. She's pretty hot—"

"No need," I said, a devilish grin forming on my face. "I already have one in mind."

* * *

 **notes: I updated faster than I thought :3 Anyways, sorry for making Kagura a bad bitch *hides***

 **notes2: I might post another chapter again later since I know, this is kinda boring ass chapter and there is no NaLu fluff! ):**

 **notes3: Thank you for those who reviewed and followed this story of mine (: I really appreciate it :3 I'll start replying to you guys after I fixed some stuffs on the story :3**

 **notes4: Tell me thoughts about my story by clicking the review button! (:**


	3. Chapter 3

Valentine's Day. What a big, pink sugar coated mess...

It was really weird how fleeting Earth time was when you spent most of the days staring into space. But how could whole days have passed me by and not Valentine's Day?

Well, it's not like I hated Valentines Day; I was sure Hallmark really needed that extra boost. It was just that, it always reminded me of that experience back in the ninth grade, which I couldn't forget no matter what I did. I also hated the way people mistook my bitterness as a by-product of being a single or not having a date for Valentine's.

I could practically feel the love in the air; it made me nauseous. That insipid stench of conveniently applied colognes and perfumes wafting together with scents of breath spray and anti-dandruff shampoo truly made my stomach churn.

I was pretty sure Lisanna and I were the only people who didn't get gifts from anybody that day, much to he disappointment. So we just exchanged chocolates with each other, and I pretended to be mildly interested in our "tragic" situation.

I couldn't complain. Sometimes, it was hilarious to have your best friend as your valentine.

If I hadn't met Natsu, I'd probably be living a little differently. I tried to imagine myself as infatuated as the people around me.

Even though I acted like a boy at times, what with my baggy clothes and all, deep down inside I'm still a girl. But that guy couldn't understand any of it; he was an idiot. He was the one who made up the "weirdo" nickname just to piss me the hell off, and the word spread like plague throughout our campus.

Now people actually saw me like I was some kind of freak of nature, so most guys steered well clear of me, perhaps out of fear.

Bah! Whatever. Forget about boys. They're just a bunch of jerks, anyway.

While we were passing by his table, Lisanna asked me why I was ignoring Natsu's invitation to sit with his friends, but I just shrugged, hiding my grumpiness by munching on a cheeseburger. I never liked to stick with that guy more than five seconds; otherwise I might get a rash.

Besides, it would be totally awkward if we, the umpopular duo, sat down at a table with the popular guys. To be honest, I would rather sit alone on a spike than entertain the likes of them.

"He was just being nice to you, Lucy," said Lisanna as she picked a fry off her plate and chewed it. "You've known each other for years, but you still act cranky around him."

"I hate the guy," I said frankly, without a trace of guilt or remorse. "You already know what kind of hell he's been putting me through."

My eyes darted to his table across the canteen, where he was laughing with his minions probably constructing another evil plan. Oh, groan.

Seeing my expression, Lisanna giggled. "You two got really a tight bond, huh? Who knows, maybe you'll marry each other someday in the future."

I almost barfed when she said that.

"What kind of 'tight bond' are you talking about?" I snarled. Sometimes, I thought Lisanna was going insane. Marry each other? I'd rather spend the remainder of my life being alone than be stuck with that jerk forever, thank you very much. "Please, stop saying things you will get me mad, Lis."

She laughed hysterically. I tried to ignore her and looked away. Really, what was the fun in this whole situation? I couldn't stand conversations, which included him.

"Hey, people!" A saccharine voice called through the crowd.

Vanilla perfume reached my nostrils as Michelle sat down and hugged me after she place a truckload of her received Valentine's gifts on the table with a loud crash.

How was she able to do that year after year?

Michelle was neither a cheerleader nor a celebrity—she was just an ordinary junior student, actually—but guys were still attracted to her anyway. What was she doing right? Was it looks? Maybe Natsu had turned her into another one of his cronies... But then again, at she was nice to all the cliques at our high school.

"Guys, I want to tell you something," Michelle was squealing, leaning closer to us. "Okay, here it is... I've been chosen as Queen for the Ball!"

Lisanna gasped and congratulated her on the spot for her big opportunity, but me? I just frown and stared at Michelle skeptically. No, I wasn't jealous of the popularity she'd experienced growing up—in fact, I was happy for how well she was doing in her high school life—but I was a little uncertain all the same. After all, they might have chose Natsu as the King. The Ball was his holy occasion, you know.

I'd never allowed that guy to lay his filthy claws on my sister, even if it was just for a dance.

"So...who's your partner?" I asked, failing to add a nonchalant tone to my voice. "Is it Natsu?"

"Hmm, no," Michelle said. "They didn't choose the previous King to come back again. I don't know who for this year's ball is, but they said he's in your year."

Thank goodness, it wasn't him. Now my mind could somehow manage to be stress-free.

"But don't spread it to the others, guys. It's supposed to be a secret," She implored.

I muched away at the rest of the burger while the two talked about outfits and makeup for the Valentine Ball. I couldn't really join in, since I have no taste in that kind of stuff; besidesm I certainly didn't have plans to attend the Ball in the first place. I'd have preferred to be watching a horror movie marathon than wasting my time at an event like that. And if I did happened to attend the Ball, Natsu would definitely make fun of me. He would say I looked hideous in a cocktail dress or something.

Lisanna and Michelle were practically crying after I told them I wasn't going. Michelle begged me to come anyway, telling me I'd lose half of my life if I didn't; I still shook my head, though, confident in my decision.

I wasn not going to the Ball, and that was final.

But when I told them, they looked as if a kitten had just died in front of them.

"Really, guys stop it with the faces," I said, shaking my head and laughing. "I'm not going to change my mind I swear."

I raised my palm as sign of the pledge, and Michelle just pouted her lips. "Okay sis," She sighed; "You should come with us after school though. We're going shopping."

I narrowed my eyes at Lisanna, who grinned widely. "Shopping?" I said.

One of the things I hated most: shopping. It's seriously tiring, not to mention annoying spending your entire day roaming around the mall, looking at things you couldn't even buy.

But Michelle and Lisanna kept chanting "please" over and over for nearly two minutes until I finally sighed and nodded. Guess I have no choice then. These girls were so persistent that they'd never quit until I gave in.

"Fine," I grumbled resignedly.

"Yay!" Michelle said, clapping her hands before hugging me tightly.

I sighed again. I bet this day would be way longer than I'd expected.

"Green gown? Yuck! That will make me look like a giant broccoli with boobs," Michelle said.

Then Lisanna answered, "Pfft, how about blue, then? It matches your eye color."

"Hmm, yeah, but I don't really think it suits me too well."

"Oh, so would the black be better on you?"

"It'd look very sexy at the Ball, but..."

"Oh you'd look totally sexy in that."

"I know, right? But doesn't it make me look fat?"

It just went on and on. Did I mention I hated shopping? Oh yeah, I did that already. Well you get the picture.

I resisted the urge to block my practically bleeding ears with my hands. Why wouldn't this end? They had been talking without end about their preferred dresses – constantly complimenting and reassuring each other ever since lunch break and on until after school—and they still hadn't decided on the final outfit yet.

Wow, I'd never thought girls could be so meticulous about colors. Okay, so yeah, I'm a girl, but I didn't exactly go crazy over favorite colors or whatever. That's Michelle's job, not mine.

"Sis," Said Michelle, demandingbmy immediate attention as she curled her arms up on mine. "What color do you think would flatter me?"

"Gee, I don't know, a rainbow?" I said brushing my nose. "Sorry, guys, I'm totally clueless about fashion and stuff like that," I added as I shrugged for good measure.

"Typical Lucy," Lisanna said with a chuckle, shaking her head in amusement. "You'll never get any fashion ideas out of her."

I made a face, and she laughed even harder. Had that been intended to be an insult? Well, she was just lucky she was my best friend. Her words couldn't hurt my ego, unlike Natsu.

As we left the building, Lisanna ran ahead to a car that was parked a couple feet away from us. Michelle ran excitedly for the back seat while I lazily made my way to the front. I was reaching for the handle of the door when, suddenly, someone grabbed my waist and pulled me away.

I screamed. Who the hell—

"Lucy!"

That annoying voice.

I spun around; my fist was apready balled up, but before it could land squarely on his cheek, he quickly evaded and blocked it with his hand.

"Hey, hey, easy there, tiger." He smiled cheekily. "Did you miss me?"

"Since the few hours we saw each other in the cafeteria? Yeah, really missed you, babe."

"That's cute," Natsu answered casually.

Ugh, son of a building block. Couldn't the guy detect sarcasm?

Michelle poked her head out of the car and gasped loudly. "Lu, why are you–oh, my God! Seriously, are you guys planning to have a wrestling match in the middle of a parking lot?" She exclaimed.

I pulled my hand away. "Where the hell did you come from?" I exclaimed at him. "Appearimg out of nowhere like that, don't you know better than to sneak up on people?"

He shook his head. "Jeez, calm down Luce. No need to make a scene. I just wanna talk to you."

"Oh, get lost, Dragneel."

I thought he would get pissed off, but then his lips formed an arrogant smirk. "Aw, c'mon!" He said. "I came all the way here just to see you."

Lisanna shrieked from inside the car, as if this whole scene were in some kind of romantic film. "Wow!" She cried. "Could it be that you two are already heading to the dating stage?"

"What!" I screeched. Ooh, that girl was so dead.

Natsu snorted, "Nah, it could never be like that, could it?"

I sighed a relief. At least he could admit it.

Then he continued, "Actually, I just wanted to know where you guys are going right now."

I could sense something fishy going on. Crossing my arms, I tilted my head to the sode and tried to look superior. "We're going to the amusement park, why?" I lied, forcing a mean grin. I knew just how much Natsu hated amusement parks. Hearing one word about them was enough to make him shudder, or at least get him a little irritated.

But he just made a face, yanked on my left arm, and began leading me away down the street.

"Oh, really? Well I was wondering if you might spare me an hour, or two."

"What? No way! Why should I come with you?" I gasped, trying to pull my arm out of his grip, though he just tightened it more. "Michelle! Lisanna! Get this idiot's paws off me!"

"Girls, please excuse us. We're just going somewhere," He said to Michelle and Lisanna, ever the gentleman... Yuck!

I spun around and saw the two with amused expression on their faces. How could they look like that while I was in the middle of a crisis? I guess Natsu's evil charm, had worked on them, as usual.

"Wait, are you deaf?" I cried out. "I never said I was going anywhere with you!"

I looked helplessly at Michelle, but she just shrugged and made one of those "I-can't-do-anything-about-it" smiles. Gah, this was so frustrating! Even my sister was trying to hook me up with this kind of guy!

Natsu started dragging me across the parking lot, and I began to pull harder in the opposite direction. I needed to escape from this situation badly, before he could do God-knows-what to me. I tried yelling loudly to make him let go, but he just sighed and picked me up in one swift motion, effortlessly carrying me over his shoulder.

"What the—Natsu, put me down right now!" I screamed, pounding him on the back several times. "Let me down! Let me down before I kill you!"

But all he did was ignore my yells, laughing his heart out like the evil person he was. And yes, I was definitely putting him down as "evil" after this little stunt.

He continued to carry me until he reached his red Porsche, where my head smacked hard on the seat after he'd thrown me inside. I cursed. Was this a right way to treat a woman? Oh wait, he didn't even see me as a girl, how could I have forgotten?

"Jeez, Luce, you could do with losing a few pounds. I could hurt my back," He complained as he started the engine. "Where exactly are we going?"

He rolled his eyes. "Calm down, Luce. I promise I'll get you back in one piece," He said. "Just stay with me, don't ask too many questions, and everything will be fine."

* * *

 **notes: sorry for my absence, as a compensation i will also post the next chapter tomorrow! update spree!**

 **notes2: review! review! review! cause it always makes my day :3**


	4. Chapter 4

"Put me down, you idiot!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as Natsu carried me through yet another parking lot.

I'd refused to leave the car the minute I'd seen the Runaway Shoppe, but Natsu had overpowered me once again, tossing me over his shoulder without breaking a sweat. I just knew I was in for a terrible time. The Runaway Shoppe was exactly the kind of place I'd always hated, so whatever Natsu was planning to do there, it couldn't have beem good.

When we stepped through the glass doors, I was amazed. The shop was so colossal; a Ferris Wheel would've have fit inside without a problem. Everything around me looked so vintage-y and artsy, not to mention the sweet-smelling air freshener; the pink room we'd entered contained a front desk, makeup displays, and accessory racks, along with a variety of luxury items I couldn't even begin to count. If I hadn't known any better, I would've easily mistaken this place for a mansion.

Why was I even here?

Natsu immediately dropped me in a pink, squishy couch, leaving me to bounce off the hard part in the middle. Damn, my butt hurt! I'd probably already broken twenty bones today because of his terrible manners.

"Natsu, I hate you," I muttered, gritting my teeth, "I hate you to the moon and back. You know what, you always make me feel like doing a roundhouse kick to your face." Pushing myself off the couch, I tried to make a break for it, but he just stepped in front of me in one sudden movement.

My eyes flashed. "What the fudge—"

"Stay here and keep quiet," He cut me off with a straight face, "Or else I'll have to find a leash."

"What do you think am I, a freaking canine?!" I shouted, making some of the costumers look at me in shock; my face heated up, not with embarassment but with fury.

Natsu was about to reply when a woman seemingly in her forties emerged from the back of the store, calling his name in surprise. She was clad in a well-designed floral dress, as if she had just stepped out of a fashion magazine. I was a little confused until I realized she was probably the Runaway Shoppe's manager.

Oh yeah, Natsu was freaking rich—how could I have forgotten? His Dad was a well-known engineer with affliates practically everywhere, and I wouldn't have been surprised if he had connections with the Yakuza.

"Natsu, welcome!" The dark-haired woman said, giving him a warm hug that returned easily. "It's been a while..." Her cat-like eyes then fell on me, and she smiled: "Oh, you brought a girlfriend, I see."

Hoo, boy. Why did it always have to be like this? Whenever we went places together, people always saw us a couple, no matter what we were. How could they misinterpret such total enemies as star-crossed lovers? That was why I absolutely hated being around Natsu. Anything to do with him meant headaches, headaches and more headaches.

Sinking down into the couch, I crossed my arms and sighed with impatience. Meanwhile, Natsu was snickering as he shook his head. "No, Morgan, she's just a friend, actually." He turned to flash a cocky grin at me, and I scowled.

Morgan only nodded and smiled, saying, "Oh, alright. Well, what can I help you with, then? Is there anything you're looking for?"

"Do you have a Ball gown that would be flattering on her?" Natsu asked, jabbing his thumb at me. "We need one that's super exclusive."

My eyes widened, and in low voice, I said, "What?"

"Of course!" Morgan said to Tristan. "We just received some newly designed garments straight from Paris. Just wait a moment, please, and I'll go get them." She clapped in the direction of some female assistants on the side, and they quickly strode into the next room, where I bet all the designer clothes were on display.

In the meantime, my eyes darted straight to the back of Natsu's head, and I gave him the worst glare I could muster. "What exactly are you doing?" I snapped at him. "Why are you picking out a dress for me? You know how much I hate that stuff."

"Lucy, behave," He said, not even bothering to turn around. "And don't start freaking the hell out, because I'll be the one paying, so no worries. I'm only doing this to make you smile for a change," He added, looking back to give me a wink.

Oh God, somebody restrain me from stabbing him with a pen.

"Shut up, Natsu," I said. "Don't you dare try to use your charm on me either, since we both know that'll never work. I want to get out of here, now."

He sneered. "Aww, but don't you want a present?" He said. "Plenty of girls would die to be honored like this, you know."

"Well, excuse me," I scoffed, "But I'm nothing like those stupid bit—"

He held up his finger to cut me off, saying, "Easy with the words, Lucy."

Oh, please! Since we had become si ethical? Michelle had probably tried teaching him manners, but it was obvious how effective that had been.

I swallowed the end of my sentence and continued: "Fine, stupid witches,whatever. Anyway, if you're only doing this so I can go to the Valentine Ball with you, then no thank you—" I held up a hand, "—because I'm already refusing your offer."

"Oh, so you figured it out that quickly, huh?" He said. 'Just because I'm a blonde doesn't mean I'm stupid, Natsu! I know all of your tricks!' I wanted to say it out loud, but he kept on speaking: "Don't think I'm asking you out, Lucy, because that's never happen in a million years."

I snorted. "Yeah, like I didn't already know that."

"I'm sure you did know that," He said, "But see, I'm not asking you, I'm fircing you to go out with me...though I do know I'm hard to resist."

I rolled my eyes. Had Natsu been try to imitate Johnny Bravo righ there? If so, then he'd succeeded in making me even more furious. What a conceited, evil, overconfident jerk! I was probably the only person who could even match up to his attitude.

"Don't waste your precious efforts, Natsu," I said with an exasperated sigh. This argument was just plain stupid. "No matter what you do, you can't make me attend the Ball, with or without you. Why are you exactly doing this?"

"I need you to do something for me during the Ball."

"Oh, really? Well, sad to say, I refuse to accept any job offers from you starting this day. Period."

"Lucy—"

"I said I'm not going damnit."

"Oh, yeah?" His eyebrows arched as his hands dove into his pockets. "Well, then, I guess I'll just ask your mom for permission. I bet she can make her child go out with me." He proceeded to pull out a Blackberry and began punching in numbers, but I just rolled my eyes again.

Yeah, go on, Natsu, like I'd actually believe you'd dial my Mom's phone number—

"Hello, Mrs. Heartfilia? Yeah, it's me, Natsu. Look—"

Then I could hear a tiny noise coming from the phone—my own mother's voice.

Oh God, you've got to be kidding me!

I lunged at him in a rush, grabbing the phone out of his hand and running for my dear life out the door of the Runaway Shoppe. I didn't know where I was heading, and everything was a blur as I sped down the sidewalk; then I heard a faint sound escape from my phone, and I held it up, surprised.

"H-hey, Mom!" I answered shakily, trying to make a room for speech between my heavy breaths. There was music blaring through the phone and I guess she was still having her yoga lecture.

"Lucy? Oh, so you're hanging out with Natsu," She said, relieved. "Are you two alright? Is there an emergency?"

Yes, Mom, yes! I'd been in a life-or-death emergency all afternoon. In fact, I was running like hell to escape the clutches of evil!

Natsu's voice echoed through the crowd, and when I looked back, I saw him dashing towards ,w at top speed, his sharp gaze enough to slice me into pieces. My steps doubled, and I thanked God for my long legs. I was practically running like a cheetah, and with that extra boost of speed, I managed to blend in with the huge mob of people, knowing Natsu would have a hard time finding me now.

"Honey, is everything alright?" Asked my Mom. "Where are you? You sound like you're...running?"

"Huh? Oh, ha-ha, yeah, everything's perfectly fine. Natsu and I are just doing the Amazing Race, that's all." Oh, and did I forgot to mention that I was a fantastic liar?

At long last, one of my few talents was actually coming in handy.

"You're doing wha—"

"The Amazing Race! Haven't you heard of it? It's all the rage nowadays! Anyway, I gotta go now, so see you later!" And with that, I pressed the off button.

I knew it's rude to cut off someone when they're talking, but to be honest, I had no choice. After all, I didn't need Mom bombarding me with questions about this whole thing off. If I told her the entire story, she'd probably just side with Natsu because she loved him so much.

Darn, why did my family have to be so close with Natsu's?

My breath came out in short gasps as I ran another length of sidewalk, and I figured I'd already lost myself mid-city, but I didn't care. As long as I was away from the evil prince, I would be all right. When I looked back, though, Natsu was nowhere to be found, and I gave a chuckle of satisfaction; after all this running, he'd finally given up on me.

Then my face slammed into something solid as I rounded a corner, and I toppled over, smacking my butt on the hard ground. I felt a shock of soreness travelling through my body, from my nose to my rear, and I wondered for the umpteenth time what I'd done to deserve this crappy day. Why was I experiencing every torture strategy in the book?

Never mind what I'd say earlier. This was why I hated Valentine's Day.

"Oh, shoot. I'm so sorry," Said a voice, which startled me. "Come on, let me know if you're okay. Are you able to stand up?"

Huh, was the wall talking to me? I'd figure I'd hit a dead end or something.

Then a hand appeared, offering me to help me to my feet. When I looked up, I saw a tall guy with black hair dressed all in black, leaning over me; he was wearing Ray Bans, so I couldn't see his eyes too clearly.

I grabbed his hand, and he easily pulled me up. Whoa, his hands were so soft and smooth, just like a baby's butt...and he smelled nice, too.

"Are you alright?" He asked in a deep voice. "I'm really sorry. I wasn't looking on where I was going, and I—"

"Err, no," I said. "It's entirely my fault. I guess I should be the one apologizing, but thanks, anyway," I added, smiling and giving him a thumbs up for reassurance. Great, with my dishiveled appearance, the guy probably thought I was always this awful-looking, what with my tangled hair, sweaty face, and possibly broken nose.

But he just grinned casually. "You haven't changed a bit, huh..." Said the guy thoughtfully. "I'm glad you're still the Lucy Heartfilia that I knew."

The smile on my lips froze. Wait—how did he know me? Had I just found myself a stalker?

"Uh, do I know you?" I asked cautiously, heart burning with part exhaustion, part anxiety.

"What, you've already forgotten about me?" He chuckled. "Well, I'm not surprised..."

Once he removed his glasses, I swear I could feel my feet melting into the ground from all the hotness. Holy macaroni; he had black eyes but that complimented her face feautures very well, and with all my bad luck that day, it was a miracle I'd found a good-looking dude who was also nice.

But then my eyebrows furrowed. He seemed strangely familiar...

"It's me, Rogue Cheney. Remember?"

The moment he stated his name, my face grew hot immediately. My mind paused, and its place was a mess of uncontrollable thoights, all overwhelmingly clichè and frustratingly random.

So that's why!

Oh by the beard of Zeus, why did this have to happen to me now?

I couldn't believe it, but he was right there in front of me. Rogue, the guy I had a crush with ages ago, and Rogue, the guy who'd broken my heart for the first time.

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 **notes: ohoho, things are getting exciting now! *^***

 **notes2: updating tomorrow cause i saved so much updates ;) update spree!**

 **notes3: review! cause it always makes my day ;D**


	5. Chapter 5

I really didn't know what's wrong with that girl.

I mean, I'd offer her a once-in-a-lifetime chance, one that any other girl would've died for, but all she'd done was blow up in my face and storm off. Now I was here, making my way through the middle of the city, searching every damn corner for Lucy, but not having any luck.

Why was I even bothering, anyway? I didn't care if she wanted to get lost on a crowded street. This wasn't my problem anymore, and I was done looking.

Glancing at my watch, I realized I'd spent almost an hour roaming around for was already dark out, so chances were, Lucy was at home, laughing triumphantly at her ninja-like success in ditching me here.

So I headed back to the Runaway Shoppe and apologized to Morgan for our sudden disappearance, proceeding to clamber into my car when I was finished.

The entire way back, I couldn't help thinking about how my plan to force Lucy into the dance had gone very wrong. Once Kagura heard about this, she would surely laugh and throw herself on me again. Oh, screw this.

Whatever.

A couple of minutes later, I was pulling over in front of my house to the side of the road and hopping out of my car, glancing at the neighboring two-story house. As I made towards their porch, I let out a deep sigh, trying to dissolve my frenzied attitude; that was what I always did when I was angry, took some time to cool off so I wouldn't cause uproar. Even though Lucy's callous actions were already getting into my nerves, I still didn't want her, or anybody else, too see the other side of me.

I approached the doorbell to ring it several times in a row.

After a few moments, the door clicked open, and there stood Michelle with her usual smiling demeanor, which faded the moment she laid eyes on me. "Whoa, Natsu, what happened to you?" She asked, concerned.

I shrugged. "Well, other than Lucy making me look like a dumbass today, nothing much," I replied.

"Oh, did you two fight again?" She said. "Would you mind telling me all the details? Maybe I can help!"

Typical Michelle—always acting as a peacemaker between us. Yeah, she and Lucy were sisters, but why did they have to be so different? Michelle was the kind of a girl whose personality guys loved, whereas Lucy...well, Lucy wasn't so much a girl as a lion.

Honestly, I was glad that Michelle was trying to help out, but it didn't feel right to tell her everything that had happened, so I rubbed the back of my neck and said, "Uh, it's a little...personal. Sorry, Michelle."

I figured she would frown and demand an answer, but instead she just grinned as if she hadn't even heard my reply. "It's alright, Natsu. I just hope you two can work everything out," She told me.

I nodded, though not entirely on board with the "working it out" plan. "Yeah, that's why I need to talk on her now. Do you know where she is?"

"Actually she's inside right now, and I can call her if you want, but just a little warning..." She leaned in a little and whispered, "Lucy's kinda weird right now. I tried talking to her, but she just had this look on her face like she was hypnotized or something. I think you're the only—"

"Michelle, get inside," Said a voice from the inside, and I looked behind her to see...

Lucy.

She'd already chamged into a set of SpongeBob PJs, and the moment I saw her, I could feel my optimism fizzling out—while I'd been out searching for her, she'd beem having leisure time in her bedroom, just as I'd guessed before. Wow, she probably thought I was a total idiot.

Meanwhile, Michelle was backing through the doorway and giving me a quick wave, while Lucy was stepping out into the porch and closing the door behind her.

"Oh, so you're here already?" She said, crossing her arms. "Did you enjoy the wild goose chase?"

I knew she'd already figured out why I was here, but as I examined her face, I frowned. Michelle had been right in believing something was wrong with her.

"First of all, tell me exactly why you look so weird right now," I said sternly. "You just ditched me an hour ago, and now you look...creepy."

She scowled and said, "So you're here to insult me? Go on, then, do it."

I didn't respond, instead moving my face close to hers, which made her jump in surprise. The expression on her face nearly caused me to laugh. Straightening up, I finally said, "Your eyes are brighter than usual, and your face is all red, almost like you're...like you're aroused or something... Wait a minute," I said slowly, "Have you been reading Fifty Shades of Grey?"

Lucy hit my head with her knuckles.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. Damn, I didn't see that coming.

"If you don't have anything nice to say, can you just go away?" She snapped, which made me chuckle a little. I still hadn't gotten over her signature angry face.

"I won't go away unless you state what's going on with you right now."

She sighed in a un-Lucy like manner and said, "Why would I? You wouldn't understand, or even care about it anyway."

"Really?" I dug my hands in my pockets and looked up at her, saying, "Try me." When she didn't respond, though, I sighed impatiently. What a typical weirdo, being so stubborn all the time.

"Spit it out, Luce," I finally added, "Don't make me wait."

"Gah! Fine," She exclaimed. "I-I met..." She gulped. "I met Rogue, okay?" At the mention of his name, her face became even redder, and I could barely believe my eyes. It was unusual to see Lucy worked up like this over a guy, and to be frank, I found it little distressing.

"Aha! So that's why you ditched me," I said; my veins snapped as I thought out the whole thing over. If my hunch is correct, Lucy's reactions had been completely inexcusable. "You ran away from me just to meet up with that guy, and I—"

"What are you talking about?" She interrupted me. "I didn't ditch you because of him. The fact that we met up was purely accidental, and I didn't even know he was back in town!"

I grunted. "Oh, so you p're the last one to hear the news, huh? Rogue Cheney has been back from Florida since the beginning of senior year."

Her jaw practically dropped to the floor.

"What the...why did no one tell me about this?" She cried, them murmuring something else that I couldn't catch, and I found myself thinking, what the hell? Just because Rogue was back, she was suddenly all melodramatic?

Weird.

"Of course we weren't going to tell you," I said with a hint of impatience. "Nobody—especially not Lisanna, Michelle of I—would dare to bring up that issue, since you'd probably end up bawling like you did back in freshman year. But honestly, Lucy, why do you even care about that? You shouldn't be talking to him. He rejected your fe—"

"Shut it!" Lucy snapped. "My God, Natsu, don't you ever remind me about that! It happened three years ago, so that whole thing is already ancient, okay?" Her voice seemed angry, but her eyes told me otherwise.

I had a feeling that she was replaying the memory over and over in her head, the same one I'd never witnessed, but had heard about from Michelle and a few others. At any rate, this definitely wasn't going to be easy. Hell, just seeing her like this was giving me a strange feeling, which was bugging me to no end, and trying to get through to her would be problematic for both parties.

"Ancient, huh?" I said at last, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Then why do you still look like you're drooling over him? Are you still tat obsessed with him?"

"What—drooling? Huh, what a nice choice of word." She held up a finger and continued: "Listen, mister, in case you didn't know, most girls look a little different when they see someone they actually like, even though it may be hopeless for them. You can blame the hormones, I don't care, but it happens to apply to all girls, so don't start making any judgements."

"Really? You still consider yourself a girl?" I chuckled. "Give me proof, then."

"Don't start that crap again, Natsu. You'd never know the reason why—"

I held up my right hand to cut her off. "Oh, I know perfectly well what the reason is. You're talking about you're such a tomboy, right? Why you put up all the barriers? Well, I know exactly why you do it. It's because of Rogue, isn't it?" When she didn't say anything I continued: "He rejected you, and after that, you began seeing all us guys differently. You starting saying that we're all the same, that we're a bunch of jerks, right?"

She took a small step back, taken back my answer, and I knew I'd hit home.

Rogue was the culprit.

Lucy had always thought I was clueless on her motivations for being such a tomboy, but she'd been wrong, since I'd figured out her reasoning a long time ago. If Rogue's refusal of her confession wasn't what had caused her tough attitude, then what had?

Nope, that bastard Rogue had been the cause all alone.

"But it's true!" Lucy burst out suddenly, fists already balled up. "You're all the same!"

"No, we aren't," I said in a neutral tone.

"Yes, you are!"

"No, we're—"

"Yes!"

"No!"

She flung her hands up in frustration.

"Yes! Just admit the darn fact already!"

I did not admit the darn fact, instead choosing to flick her forehead with my finger, which she swatted away in self-defense.

"Hey, what was that for?" She demanded, annoyed.

"You're too obstinate and brainless, you know that?" I grumbled. "If you really believe that we guys are all the dame, why do you still look like you're crushing on Rogue? Besides, what's all that great about him, anyway? He's always hiding behind his sheet music or books or whatever like a creepy nerd."

"That's what great about him! Rogue's the type of guy who doesn't like to show off. He's down-to-Earth very nice, totally different from the rest of the male population, and I'm so glad he hasn't been influenced by people like you."

Oh, great, we were opening the big book of Rogue Cheney once again. I had never figured out why Lucy defended that guy. I thought she'd already ended all her fantasies about him by now, but shit, was she actually still into him?

I clenched my fists and stared at the ground. "Huh, you're talking like you've known that narcissistic nerd for ages... Trust me, though, you don't know him well as you think."

"He's not a nerd, I already said that!" She exclaimed, stomping her foot. "Do we have to repeat this whole debate all over again?"

"So you don't like me calling him a nerd, but you're fime with 'narcissistic'?"

"Oh for Chrissakes, just shut up!" Lucy exclaimed. "If you're going to be so critical of Rogue, why don't you look at yourself for a change? Honestly, it's like you've been reffering yourself in third person this time."

I shrugged. "But I'm just telling you the truth. Rogue's narcissistic—"

"Stop insulting him! You're only making up all of these because you've never liked someone for real!"

My jaw clenched, and she quivkly lowered her head in embarassment, apparently surprised she'd said what she had. But my heart was already banging in my chest. I knew she'd believed what she'd said entirely, and her accusation seemed to sting me more the longer than I thought.

Damn it, what the hell had she seen in Rogue that could turn her into this? She wasn't acting like her normal self, and it was infuriating to watch. Why was he the only one who could bring this side of her out?

I took a few steps closer to Lucy, that made her press up against the door, and before I knew what was going on, I'd already placed my hands against the wall on either side of her, my onyx eyes locking her with startled hazel brown eyes. A hint of perfume invaded my nostrils as I leaned towards her ear, whispering:

"But what if I have?"

Then I was standing in front of her again, my hands at my sides; complete shock had paralyzed me, and I was left wondering:

Did I actually just say that?

Oh, no shit.

What had I just done?

Lucy's eyes were wide with surprise, but curiousity was filling them by second, and she asked me, "What are you saying?"

I couldn't bear to make eye contact. I'd been so stupid to say something ridiculous like that. I should've been ashamed of myself. How could I let myself go that far, I never should've—

"Whoa, wait a second," She said, her voice shaky. "Don't tell me—"

"Forget it," I cut her off. "Never mind what I just said, it's not important." Then I turned my back on her, unwilling to argue any longer. I was beat, mentally and physically, and I couldn't handle any more of this Rogue crap tonight. "I'm outta here; I'm tired of bickering with you. You refuse to listen, anyway, so what's the use?"

"Well, I'm glad you've finally realized that!"

Then, just as I was about to head towards my house, she shouted, "Hey, Natsu!"

I turned around and saw her hurling my phone, which I managed to catch just in time. It was off, but thankfully, there was no scratch.

"Try calling my mom again and you're dead," She exclaimed.

"Yeah? So here's my warning for you," I said in a low voice, turning to look Lucy in the eye. "You'll be sorry for everything."

She squinted at me, saying, "What are you—"

"Happy Valentine's Day, Luce," I muttered before leaving her alone by the door.

* * *

 **notes: i'll probably back in the 2 day before updates schedule now.**

 **notes2: comment your thoughts by clicking the review button!**


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